EU conservative leader wants German troops under European flag in Ukraine

Germany must take an active role in any peace settlement for Ukraine, EPP politician Manfred Weber says, arguing that Europe also needs to develop its own new security strategy.

Manfred Weber, leader of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, has spoken out in favour of German soldiers participating in securing a peace settlement in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports per German media.

“I would like to see soldiers wearing the European flag on their uniforms, working together with our Ukrainian friends to safeguard peace,” the CSU politician told newspapers of the Funke Media Group.

“We cannot seriously expect Trump to secure a peace solution on his own with American GIs. And if we are talking about European troops, Germany cannot stand on the sidelines,” Weber said, referring to US President Donald Trump.

Europe must take responsibility for Ukraine’s security, the CSU politician said. “After a ceasefire or peace agreement, the European flag must be flying along the security line.”

Following talks on Ukraine in Berlin, EU heads of state and government held out the prospect of a multinational force to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. The European-led force, supported by the United States, would back the country’s armed forces and ensure the security of airspace and seas.

However, it remains unclear how Germany could contribute. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Vice-Chancellor and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil have so far been cautious about the question of deploying German soldiers for peacekeeping.

Weber was sceptical, however, about the prospect of an imminent ceasefire. “Putin is leading us by the nose. To this day, he sits in the Kremlin and enjoys watching the West argue and split,” said the leader of the European People’s Party. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent tens of thousands of young soldiers to their deaths. Weber said he could not see “that Putin is on the path to peace”. Peace would only come if Europeans showed strength and spoke with one voice.

Weber called on the European Union to respond to the US turning away from Europe with a new security strategy. “2025 is a turning point in history,” he told the Funke newspapers, pointing also to Trump’s security policy. Europe must “stop shaping our policy based on papers written in Washington,” Weber said. “We need to write our own security strategy, put Europe’s architecture to the test, and finally act with confidence.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev